A Child's First Words - oneshot
by annieplus7
Summary: Pantherlily has started to notice Gajeel and Levy's stress levels have skyrocketed since their bundle of joy turned into a bundle of sleepless nights and bath time fights. So he takes it upon himself to watch their child as he sends the mages away for a much needed date night. He could handle babysitting for a night, right?


Pantherlily watched his favorite mage couple from atop the kitchen counter as they tip-toed around their home in complete stealth.

Gajeel had managed to rock their exhausted and obstinate two-year old to sleep, tucking him away for a nap, which gave Levy the chance to bathe and dress in peace. She was now busy preparing food for the evening, much to Pantherlily's distaste as he had assured the blunette he was quite capable of feeding and caring for FairyTail's most rambunctious toddler.

"Levy, I think you might be overthinking this a little," he commented gently.

She gave him a tired look that instantly silenced him. Once she had put the final touches on their pre-made dinner, she sealed it away in a tupperware container and placed it in the fridge.

She had gone to great lengths to ensure Lily would have the easiest time tonight. Cleaning their home from top to bottom, laundry done and put away, books shelved, food ready to be heated, and toys picked up. To be honest, Lily had grown accustomed to the scattered toys and felt the clutter was cozy; it signified whether people were home. Seeing the floors so bare was a little unnerving.

"Ya ready, shrimp?"

Gajeel had taken his momentary freedom from the napping child to also ready himself. He had donned a crisp linen shirt and dark pants with a matching jacket. He even took the time to tame his hair back into a low ponytail that Lily knew he hated. His friend looked quite the part of a well-to-do husband.

"Yeah, just let me find my shoes," she washed her hands in the kitchen sink and flitted to their bedroom to retrieve her things.

"There is no reason to be nervous, Gajeel. I can handle him."

The iron mage quirked a studded brow at his friend, playing over the possible scenarios of destruction in his head. Their boy had not yet spoken nor shown any signs of magic talent despite their attempts to encourage him. They even went as far as taking him to see Porlyusica to ensure he wasn't faulty in any way. The healing mage had advised them he would eventually figure it out and not to worry.

Every thing that could possibly go wrong weighed heavily Gajeel's shoulders, making the dragon slayer frown and eye the child's bedroom door.

"He will be fine," he assured.

Gajeel relinquished his trust to his close friend, nodding in understanding.

Levy's heels tapped across the floor as she walked into the living room. She smiled when crimson eyes greeted her. She wore an elegant black dress that displayed her favorite piece of jewelry: an iron ring on a simple chain encircling her throat. Since their boy had started showing an interest in grabbing things, she had taken to not wearing anything remotely precious on her as she feared it would end up broken or lost.

She was obviously worried as she kept fidgeting with her dress.

"Ready?" she whispered, so as to not wake the boy.

Gajeel nodded and took her hand as they walked to the front door.

"You know how to reach us, right Lily?"

The Exceed had been told and reminded many times of all the possible ways to contact them if it was necessary. He confirmed he did and watched the couple leave down the path towards town, waving goodbye to them.

He was happy to do this for them. They deserved the time alone.

When Pantherlily closed the door, he heard the eerie creak of another door behind him. When he turned, a small child with thick black hair stood in the doorway of his bedroom. Blood red eyes examined the cat beneath the tousled shag, and Lily could see he was making the connections between the silence of the house and the disappearance of his parents with the closed door behind the Exceed.

The boy no longer appeared tired, as his young face pinched into a demonic version of his father's glare. His anger was tangible in the air and the black exceed changed into his larger form, his hair standing on end from the raw electricity that flowed between them.

Pantherlily felt a single twinge of fear in the pit of his stomach. He had awakened the beast.

* * *

Night fell too quickly for Gajeel and Levy as they made their way home, hand-in-hand. They walked along the flagstone path until they rounded a corner and their home came into view. They had waited a few hours after their son's bedtime to come home to try to extend their moment of peace and quiet.

Levy had snuggled into Gajeel's side, moving his arm to cover her shoulders. He leaned down and laid a kiss on top of her head. While he was not the most vocal of partners, he certainly had an affectionate side when it came to her.

They mounted the steps to their porch, completely content in their thought bubbles, until a round of gunfire shattered their delicate state of mind. Gajeel was the first to process the sound as he swung the door to their home open. He ran through every room to find them empty of occupants. Levy crossed the threshold and snapped into action.

"The back," she called. They ran through to the far end of their home and burst into the outdoor space expecting a grisly scene.

Pantherlily lay sprawled flat behind a log next to a small child with an equally small gun in his hands, aiming at a target only Gajeel could see with his dragon-like eyes.

"What the hell, Lil'?!"

The boy perked up at the sound of his father's voice.

"Papa!" the boy jumped up and collided with solid legs, gripping his dad's pants in tight fists. The boy opened his eyes to find his mother also present and was lifted into her embrace with relieved kisses.

"Glad to see your back. Gajeel, Levy," he greeted.

The black Exceed stood up from the ground and dusted his pants, handing the boy's stunned father the weapon that had caused their earlier panic.

"I think Asuka might be rubbing off on him."

Gajeel examined the minuscule weaponry and found it to be nothing more than a cork gun. However, what really caught his attention were the letters G-U-N that spelled out the physical object Gajeel held. Curious, he cocked the gun, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger. The deafening sound of a gunshot pierced the air with the release of the cork and Levy jumped at the sound.

"I think his magic was only able to make a copy of what he has seen," Lily explained. He tapped the barrel of the gun for emphasis, "It's completely harmless."

The boy's parents were shocked, to say the least. Levy looked at the gun, her eyes wide with understanding.

"He can spell..." she whispered. Gajeel smiled at her with pure, unadulterated joy. His boy knew magic.

Though the evening had been much anticipated for the couple, no one expected the young child's first words to be that of magic.

Pantherlily swelled with humble pride to be the first person to witness the child's first act of magic. He clapped his friend on the shoulder in an act of congratulations. It was a personal victory for the Redfox family.


End file.
